About Me

I started reading comics regularly after 'Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns'. Since then, I've become a co-host on 'The LanternCast' (a podcast dedicated to Green Lantern that's been on the air since 2008), started a new podcast covering the late 1980's DC series Action Comics Weekly (appropriately titled The Action Comics Weekly Podcast), and have been the curator of THE blog on the internet dedicated to the character of Ragman, created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert published by DC Comics starting in 1976 and currently appearing on The CW show 'Arrow' as portrayed by actor Joe Dinicol. I'm an avid fan of comics, classic rock, and speaking my mind. Welcome!

Monday, November 5, 2012

The Defeat of Green Lantern...

"I believe that Johns' has a finite amount of stories that he wants to tell for Hal. He brought him back for a purpose but it kind of feels like Hal isn't supposed to be here, at least in the role of a Green Lantern, much longer."

I said that not too long ago when breaking down my theories leading into the "Rise of the Third Army" mini-event. At the time, I intended that as a tease to an upcoming blog but nobody really picked up on it. For a short amount of time, that particular blog post got postponed because of New York Comic Con and Wizard World Austin Comic Con. Then came the AWESOME 'Ghosts' cross-over blog (which unfortunately didn't get many hits due to the craziness of Super Storm Sandy). But I shot my mouth off over on Twitter about how I was pretty sure Hal wouldn't be around much more and BOYYYYYYY you guys lost your shit. So I re-promised (though no one remembered the original promise) to bring you a blog dedicated SOLELY to why I believe Hal Jordan won't be in the picture much longer.

So here it is ladies and gentlemen, never say I don't deliver on my promises:

We all know ONE thing about Geoff Johns writing and, more specifically, retconning. The man gets rid of nearly NOTHING. Take 'Green Lantern: Rebirth' for example. At the end of the Kyle run, Geoff Johns was positioned to start putting out 'Rebirth' as a way to bring back Hal Jordan. Hal Jordan who went evil and became Parallax. Hal Jordan who sacrificed himself to reignite the sun during 'Final Night'. Hal Jordan who became the Spectre. Hal Jordan with the gray temples. Hal Jordan going nuts was met with a mixed reaction. Fan's don't remember 'Final Night' with any sort of fondness. Hal's tales as the Spectre were trippy at times and just plain weird at others. And, lets face it, nobody was going to cry foul if Hal suddenly showed up with regular brunette hair. But Johns not only made a point to address all that, he even worked it into his story. And not just with Hal...

Guy Gardner at the time was going my the moniker 'Warrior'. That PARTICULAR series wasn't fondly remembered by ANYONE (I'm generalizing for effect). Johns could've ignored everything that happened to Guy after he stopped being a GL, but he didn't. He explained and expelled the Vuldarian powers in story. It's because of his respectful approach to storytelling that Johns endears himself to so many comic fans. The man gets rid of almost NOTHING for the sake of HIS story.

That being said, Kyle is a pretty big piece to Green Lantern 'history' to just get rid of. Now, I am, by no means, a giant Kyle Rayner fan. But Kyle Rayner both as a DC Character (to us) and a Green lantern (in story) proved himself to his detractors and became a mainstay of the DCU. He went from being a character people weren't sure of at first, to becoming well respected.

Now granted, Kyle has his own book to feature in with 'New Guardians'. It's possible that with the sheer existence of that title, everything I'm about to say becomes moot. But I want you to relax your mind for a moment and stop looking for points to argue with me about. Clear your mind and think about these facts:

- Since Hal Jordan's return, the Green Lantern book has been nearly non stop action. The return of the Green Lantern Corps, the creation of the various Corps, the Blackest Night, the return of Krona and a whole HOST of other things. A roaring fire can only burn so long.

- Hal and Carol. This thing has been stop and start and stop and start for YEARS now. (damn near DECADES) The ONLY way Johns would try and start this historically destined to fail relationship AGAIN is to either A) Teach Hal a lesson or B) FINALLY get them together. Hal can't be in a lasting committed relationship to Carol if he's LITERALLY off saving the universe for months at a time and NEVER at home.

- While Hal still struggles to find his place in the world with his family, with the Corps and in his personal life, Kyle is currently being set up to become the 'Savior'/'Torchbearer' of the Corps (all of them) once more. Hal is STRUGGLING and Kyle is being ELEVATED.

Look, in my head it makes allot more sense. Hopefully you're getting my point. Go re-read the last several years of Geoff Johns Green Lantern stories. It becomes painfully evident to me that Hal is living on a TIMELINE. If Hal ISN'T destined to die again (or POSSIBLY become something OTHER than a regular Green Lantern) then he will be relegated to a simple space cop with a rapidly crumbling and unstable social life. Something tells me that’s NOT what Johns wants for the character.

Over on the Lanterncast, Jim and Dan have occasionally brought up how disappointed they are that there aren't more moments in the Green Lantern series with Hal simply interacting with his family or resolving things with Cowgirl or repairing his relationship with Carol or hanging with Tom or something...anything. The personal life of a character isn't something that Johns tends to ignore. (Look at his heartfelt stories within JSA) Johns WANTS to do something with Hal. I get that feeling 100%.

It's my theory that Hal ISN'T going to be a Green Lantern much longer. My first guess is that he's going to die (I mean AFTER him and Sinestro escape). But the other possibilities exist. If the Guardians fall, Hal could become a "Guardian" of the Green Lantern Corps. He could become an instructor or adviser. He could become a senior member that assists when needed. Who knows? I just DON'T see Hal as being a standard Green Lantern anymore. There is SOMETHING that Geoff wants to do with Hal that he can't do just yet because, for the story Geoff is telling, he NEEDS Hal just a little longer.

The ONLY way this would be completely negated is for something like the marketability of the live action prospects of the character. In other words, if Hal is the 'go to' Green Lantern for any live action DC movie interpretations, it only makes sense to have him featured in the comic’s universe to maintain consistency. I get that that particular scenario is FAR more likely to most of you than anything I've said.

But trust me on this one. SOMETHING BIG is about to happen to Hal. I can feel it.

3 comments:

Nice post Chad. I think Hal is here to stay though. I agree he'll become a Black Lantern as predicted in the Book of Oa but it might last maybe 3-6mths? I think the Ryan Reynolds movie has cemented Hal as a Green Lantern for a long time until people forget about the movie (most people have already). But with the anticipated Justice League movie coming in the next few years or so DC will HAVE to have Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern. Green Lantern is a top 10 comic so even if Johns wants to kill off Hal he'll have too much pressure from the DC marketing department to do it. Hal might be gone for the Rise of the Third Army arc but will probably be back for the Trinity(?) arc and have his Black Lantern moment in this. This probably all happens in 2013? And then Hal spends all of 2014 making amends for his Black Lantern stint and then becomes the main Green Lantern once again conveniently ahead of the Justice League movie in 2015. I look forward to seeing if you're right though! It should be an interesting 2013 that's for sure. Scott

Interesting conjecture Chad though I've got say I think Blume is probably right. Your theory seems to be Hal will either have a lasting relationship, die, become a guardian, or become a GL trainer; basically anything except patrol 2814. Two things come to mind in response to this for me: 1) We don't know what the Corps will look like at all after the end of the 'Evil Guardians' storyline. We could be going back to a version of the Corps that don't patrol traditional space sectors - another GL Corps of Earth scenario. 2) I'm reminded of when Hal retired from the Corps in the mid 80s. He wasn't a member of the GLC for 3 years or so until Crisis but he never left the title and eventually, like the proverbial rubber ball, he came bouncing back to front and centre. I think your theory might hold some water but it will only be for a year or two at best which, after all, is only 24 issues or 3 hardcovers (or an afternoons reading).That said, I'll continue to watch this space and prepare myself for your "I told you so" if these events do come to pass.

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